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Anyone with Internet access know what infamously happened in 2019. The greatest TV show of all time (aka Game of Thrones) finished, and most fans weren’t happy with the finale. So unhappy, that they decided a petition was in order to re-write the last season.
Now, I can understand people being disappointed with a story not ending how they would have preferred. But this isn’t just disappointment, it’s petty entitlement, and it shows in fandoms time and time again.
From music to TV franchises, collective fans often feel as if they are ‘owed’ something from the person/product in which they worship. They start emotional riots and cyber-warfare in defense of their precious commodity.
I’ve never been a groupthink kind of person, Orwellian or otherwise. I do see the appeal; belonging to a shared group with a shared mentality and code fits in with the human race. We have survived in teams and communities, not by being lone wolves. There’s strength in numbers, and thousands of years ago, being a ‘lone wanderer’ would have gotten you killed and hunted. Sticking to the group is what helps us thrive.
Of course some groups are necessary and inevitable; friendship groups, family groups, romantic partnerships, business partnerships. When I say I’m not someone who adheres well to ‘groupthink’, I mean more in an institutional setting. Everything I’ve ever done in my life that involves some kind of fixed organisation that goes beyond me — school, university, Alcoholics Anonymous — has ended up passing through me. I’m just not someone that thrives when I feel like I’m being ‘tied’ to something beyond me. I need to know that I can freely come and go as I please and still retain a sense of individuality (which is partly why I’m not a fan of religion).
Plenty of ‘loners’ still have friends and people that care for them. The key is to find people that accept us the way we are and allow us to be ourselves. That can take a long time, and is something that I believe is tricky when one is growing up. But when one reaches a certain level of maturity and better understands who they are, it becomes easier to know what kind of people to surround oneself with.
But I digress. There are times when collective groups that come together can be wonderful and thriving, but also times when they are damaging. Politics and religion are a strong example of this, but the fandom is another key example.
When humans band together under a shared collective goal/ideology, it becomes a powerful force. And that force can often lead to trouble. I remember the Justin Bieber craze; girls swooned and fell, acting like he was a demigod. The same thing happened with Twilight; teenage girls (myself included) lashed out at anyone that dared critique that trash tale. That same idealistic adoration is what filled Stephanie Meyer’s pockets with cash.
Beyonce fans refer to her as an actual queen. One Direction generated craze akin to The Beatles (music bared no resemblance, however). Fans of one of my other favourite shows, Rick and Morty, have whinged and whined about the latest season being rubbish and the show having gone downhill.
Check out my song ‘Fangirl’ about, well, fangirls (and fanbases in general):
